Mitcham Preschool Centre
Sustainability Policy
At Mitcham Preschool Centre we believe that action for sustainability is vital for our
children’s future.
Statement of Intent:
Educators and children at the Preschool work together to learn about and promote
the sustainable use of resources and to develop and implement sustainable
practices.
Through this policy our goals are to:
 take an active role in caring for our environment and contribute to a sustainable
future whereby sustainable practices are embedded in our service operations;
 support children to become environmentally responsible and show respect for the
environment; and
 promote sustainable practices within the Preschool community ie children, parents,
educators, Governing Council, cleaners & gardeners.
As Educators we will provide learning opportunities that:
 foster children’s capacity to understand and respect the natural environment and the
interdependence between people, plants, animals and the land; and
 provide spaces that promote the development of life skills, such as growing and
preparing food, waste reduction and recycling.
PROCEDURES USED TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS
Whilst recognising the interconnectedness of sustainable practices, we will adopt the
following procedures in our daily routines:
Reducing Waste Procedures
1. Purchasing and packaging
The Preschool purchases a significant amount of material each year including
educational resources, art materials, furniture and food stuffs.
When making purchasing decisions the following will be considered:
 Need for the item – consider the rationale for having the item, how it can be
sourced?, can it be borrowed?
 Recycled content of item and its potential for recycling or end use /
disposability
 Bulk buying of items to minimise cost & packaging
 Looking for “greener options” symbols in catalogues and other promotional
material
 Sharing of resources with other educational centres
 Community involvement - families are encouraged to, where possible, donate
resources eg boxes for construction
 Consider purchasing recycled paper eg newsprint
Mitcham Preschool Sustainability Policy
October 2014
2. Recycling
 Rubbish bins are coded green, yellow and blue, to match the kerbside bins
and make it easier for children and adults to successfully manage recyclable
materials
 Explicit teaching for children occurs, on a regular basis, to manage the bins
eg beginning of each term and as required
 A range of recycled materials and resources are collected & used on a daily
basis eg boxes for box construction; pipes and plastic bowls for use in the
sandpit; telephones for dramatic play
 Collage trolley to include 5 recycled & 3 purchased items
 Toners & printer cartridges to be recycled
3. Organics
 Compost bins and worm farm used to collect food scraps
 Green bins are used to collect food scraps
 Where possible food scraps can be sent home to families with chickens
 Vegetable garden promotes food production, importance of composting
 Ongoing learning may include the importance of life cycles (wanderer
butterflies worms, mini beasts & frogs) in our environment
4. Litter
 Children and staff are encouraged to take food and related waste (nonorganic) home to reinforce the need for less packaging
 Smaller blue bins (waste) than yellow bins (recyclables) to encourage less
waste
5. Waste minimisation
 Families have access to newsletters and other communications via electronic
media eg email, APP, website. Text alerts inform families of updates
 Rubbish free days
 Non-recyclable items eg glad wrap are sent home
6. Conservation of energy
 Water conservation through installation of rain water tanks, timer taps in
bathroom areas, promotion of half / full flush in the toilets, limited supply of
water in sandpit play, activities that promote recycling water, watering plants
in the cooler part of the day to maximise absorption
 Energy efficiency - Turning off lights, fans & heaters when not in use
 Liaise with Mitcham Council in insulating the Preschool
Continuing to reflect on our practices and implement improvements.
Approved: Governing Council Chairperson
Approved: Mitcham Preschool Director
Mitcham Preschool Sustainability Policy
October 2014